Freezing in porous media is associated with a host of dynamic phenomena that stem from the presence and mobility of premelted liquid at subzero temperatures. Accurate assessments of the progressive liquid‐ice phase transition is required for predictive models of frost damage, glacier‐till coupling, and many other cold regions processes, as well as for evaluating the capacity for water storage in near‐surface extraterrestrial environments. We use a Monte Carlo approach to sample the pore space in a synthetic 3D packing of poly‐dispersed spherical particles and evaluate local geometrical constraints that allow us to assess changes in the relative proportions of pore fluid and ice. By approximating the phase boundary geometry in fine‐grained pores while considering both the curvature of the liquid‐ice interface and wetting interactions with matrix particles, our model predicts changes in phase equilibrium in granular media over a broad temperature range, where present accounting for the colligative effects of chloride and perchlorate solutes. In addition to formulating the constitutive behavior needed to better understand properties and processes in frozen soils, our results also provide insight into other aspects of phase equilibria in porous media, including the formation of methane hydrates in permafrost and marine sediments, and the partitioning between liquid water and vapor in the vadose zone.

中文翻译：

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蒙特卡罗方法近似估算孔隙几何形状对土壤冻结相行为的影响

多孔介质中的冻结与许多动态现象有关，这些动态现象源于零度以下温度下预熔融液体的存在和流动。对于霜冻破坏，冰川耕作耦合和许多其他寒冷地区过程的预测模型，以及评估近地外地球环境中的储水能力，需要对渐进的冰冰相变进行准确的评估。我们使用蒙特卡洛方法在多分散球形颗粒的合成3D填充中采样孔隙空间，并评估局部几何约束，这使我们能够评估孔隙流体和冰的相对比例的变化。通过近似细孔中的相边界几何形状，同时考虑液冰界面的曲率和与基质颗粒的湿润相互作用，我们的模型可以预测颗粒介质在较宽温度范围内的相平衡变化，其中目前考虑了氯化物和高氯酸盐溶质的依数作用。除了制定更好地了解冻结土壤的特性和过程所需的本构行为外，我们的结果还提供了对多孔介质中相平衡其他方面的见解，包括多年冻土和海洋沉积物中甲烷水合物的形成以及液体之间的分配渗流区的水和蒸气。如果存在，说明氯化物和高氯酸盐溶质的依数作用。除了制定更好地了解冻结土壤的特性和过程所需的本构行为外，我们的结果还提供了对多孔介质中相平衡其他方面的见解，包括多年冻土和海洋沉积物中甲烷水合物的形成以及液体之间的分配渗流区内的水和蒸气。如果存在，说明氯化物和高氯酸盐溶质的依数作用。除了制定更好地了解冻结土壤的特性和过程所需的本构行为外，我们的结果还提供了对多孔介质中相平衡其他方面的见解，包括多年冻土和海洋沉积物中甲烷水合物的形成以及液体之间的分配渗流区内的水和蒸气。